College of DuPage now offers a certificate program that will prepare students for positions in data collection, data cleaning and data analysis, an in-demand career field expected to grow rapidly over the next few years.

Listed as number two growing industry in the U.S. by the World Economic Forum, the new Data Analytics Certificate offers students a convenient, cost-effective option to learn data science fundamentals like data gathering methods, data systems and programming languages.

“Data analysis is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after skills in the workplace,” said COD Computer and Information Science Professor Dejang Liu. “Companies have vast amounts of data, but it is rare to have someone with the ability to analyze that data to see trends and make predictions.”

Through the 20-credit-hour program, students gain competency in data analysis through six courses: Understanding Computers/Information/Systems or MS Office for Professional Staff, Data Analysis with Spreadsheets, Advanced Spreadsheets with Business Intelligence, Database Application, Data Analytics and Visualization and Statistics.

Additionally, a new articulation agreement with Elmhurst University allows students with a bachelor’s degree in any academic discipline who complete COD’s Data Analytics Certificate a seamless transfer to Elmhurst’s Master’s in Data Science and Analytics program.

COD Business and Applied Technology Division Dean Kris Fay said that analyzing data has become a crucial part of almost any industry.

“As advancing technology has rapidly expanded the types and amount of information we can collect, knowing how to gather, sort, and analyze data has become a crucial part of almost any business sector,” she said. “You’ll find data analysts in the criminal justice, fashion, food, technology, business, environment, and public sectors—among many others.”

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